Hospitals see more head injuries, bone fractures from ATV accidents

"I've had mini carts and dirt bikes when I was young," Allen said. "If I didn't have to pedal or push it, I loved it. It didn't matter if it was a tractor or a lawn mower."

Allen and his wife, Melinda, said their family bonds by riding all-terrain vehicles in the wilderness together.

by melinda scottt

Winston Scott, 14 and airborne, rides in the dunes near Kermit while his brother, 17-year-old Sterling, watches. Their parents, Allen and Melinda, say riders need experience before trying tricks such as this.

Unlike some of the people they see riding around the dunes of Andrews or Amarillo, safety comes first, Melinda said. While spills and accidents are part of the sport, safety equipment goes a long way to protect riders.

"One of my husband's favorite sayings is, 'You spend as much on a helmet as you think your head is worth,' " Melinda said. "We're very safety conscious. If you aren't wearing your safety gear, you don't get to ride."

University Medical Center and Covenant Health System have reported a spike in ATV-related accidents over the past five years.

While ATV riders have increased in number over the past five years, hospital and government officials claim that the increase doesn't totally account for all the accidents.

by Melinda Scott

Sterling and Winston Scott cruise on some rocky terrain in Pagosa Springs, Colo. Their parents, Allen and Melinda, say that no one is allowed to ride alone. The family rides in pairs so that, if someone should get into trouble, the other person can go for help.

ATV accidents

Trauma nurses reported that many injured ATV riders were wearing shorts and flip-flops, no helmet, drinking while they were riding or showing off before their accidents.

Paula Ponder, trauma outcomes coordinator at Covenant, said the hospital has had 17 ATV-related accidents requiring hospitalization this year.

Last year, the hospital saw 36 cases requiring hospitalization, she said. That's compared to the 19 they had in 2000.

Submitted by Melinda Scott

From left, clockwise, Winston, Sterling and Allen Scott work on one of the family's six all-terrain vehicles. Allen says ATV owners always should check out their equipment before riding to prevent problems or accidents while riding.

"It's steadily increasing with the popularity of the vehicles," Ponder said of the accident spike. "You see head injuries. You see long bone fractures. You see abdominal trauma. The majority of people who use them for work we rarely see. The injuries usually come from recreational riding and children riding without adult supervision."

Spring and summer are the most common months for accidents to happen, Ponder said, adding that many people don't wear much clothing or protection because of the heat.

"I think the thing that sticks in my head is 50 percent of the patients we see don't wear any protective gear," she said. "That's the thing that strikes us all the most."

Wendi McNabb, director of trauma and burn services at UMC, said the hospital has seen an increase this year. Hospital staff admitted 10 patients this year for ATV-related injuries. Last year, the hospital had 14 total. Data from earlier years was not available, she said.

By Submitted Melinda Scott

After a hard day's ride, Sterling, Winston, Allen and Trey Scott, from left, relax by the campfire. Nighttime is off-limits for riding, Allen says, because riders can't see what the road ahead holds.

She echoed Ponder's statements about seeing more recreational riders who weren't wearing protective gear. Also, she said, many patients come in after riding in the dark or driving on terrain they haven't surveyed beforehand.

Several cases have involved patients hitting barbed-wire fences that they didn't see in time, she said.

"If they're wearing a helmet, it makes a huge difference," she said. " Very rarely do you see them wearing a helmet. If they're thrown off the handlebars, it's usually head trauma. If it's just getting thrown off while riding, it's legs and arms."

Neither nurse said they wish to ruin people's fun on ATVs, but both said safety can't be ignored.

By Submitted Melinda Scott

After a hard day's ride, Sterling, Winston, Allen and Trey Scott, from left, relax by the campfire. Nighttime is off-limits for riding, Allen says, because riders can't see what the road ahead holds.

ATV accidents have caused major concern with the U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission, according to spokesman Scott Wolfson.

Texas is fourth in the country for ATV-related deaths, he said, with 179 between 1982 and 1999.

For 2003 - the latest data - Wolfson said his organization has collected 407 ATV-related accidents across the country. That's a lower figure than 2002's 473 accidents or 2000's 448 accidents. However, he said the 2003 number will likely go up as more accident reports come from hospitals to the organization.

"There's an estimate that this figure could climb over 500 in future years," he said. "Clearly, we see that children under age 16 are riding adult-sized ATVs. What is occurring in some cases is a parent will buy one ATV for the household, and these are vehicles that can go 50, 60 mph. These machines weigh hundreds of pounds, and they're not made for children to ride. Thirty-two percent of the deaths and injuries involve children under 16 years old."

By Submitted Melinda Scott

After a hard day's ride, Sterling, Winston, Allen and Trey Scott, from left, relax by the campfire. Nighttime is off-limits for riding, Allen says, because riders can't see what the road ahead holds.

In 1985, Americans owned 400,000 ATVs. By 2003, that number jumped to 6.2 million vehicles, Wolfson said.

While more machines may account for some of the increase, he said his organization found consumers aren't educating themselves about using their machines or taking advantage of free ATV classes offered by ATV merchants.

Three-wheeled ATVs came under fire in the 1980s, culminating in an agreement between ATV manufacturers and the Consumer Products Safety Commission to discontinue manufacturing the machines because they were too unstable, he said. The organization may look into ATV safety again over the next year because of the rising number of accidents.

ATV factsn More than 15 million Americans ride all-terrain vehicles, with 70 percent using them for recreation.n People should take advantage of rider training courses offered by all-terrain vehicle dealers prior to getting on their machines.n People should wear helmets that conform to standards set by the U.S. Department of Transportation, eye goggles or a helmet with a face shield, off-road gloves, a long-sleeved shirt or jacket and over-the-ankle boots.n Never carry passengers, and ride on designated trails. Avoid paved surfaces.n Children 6 and older should ride a vehicle with a 70 cc engine size. Ages 12 to 15 should ride machines with 70 to 90 cc engines. Children 16 and older may ride machines with engines 90 ccs or more.n For information about ATV safety training courses, call 1-800-887-2887. For ATV safety issues, call 1-800-852-5344.Source: www.atvsafety.org

Playing safe

All riders in the Scott camp must wear full body suits, helmets with goggles, chest pads and boots before they're allowed to shoot through the sand dunes.

Allen said that he has taught his children to watch their surroundings while riding.

"The thing that the kids have learned from riding is paying attention to what's around them," he said. "There are no rules. There are no roads. You have to watch what's around you at all times. There's a perception of if you have four wheels, you're going to be more safe and secure. With any motor vehicle, you have to have respect for it."

Eric Raley is the finance manager at Hub City Polaris Suzuki. He said he's seen an increase in sales for ATVs in the past five years, though 75 percent of his sales come from people buying them for farm use.

People should take time to know their vehicles, he said, and take the free lessons provided by dealers so they know beforehand how the machine handles in situations, such as shifting from two-wheel drive to four-wheel drive. Shifting gears affects the machine's turning radius, he said.

"First of all, they're coming out with so many new models," Raley said. "They're making them so much more powerful. Every time a new one comes out, it's more powerful and it's the next best thing. An ATV is a lot more dangerous than a motorcycle in my opinion because most of the time when people fall off four-wheelers, they're going to roll the machine, and the machine is going to land on them. With a motorcycle, the motorcycle is going to slide away from them."

People should wear helmets as the minimum precaution, he said. Goggles, a full body suit, knee pads, arm pads and gloves can offer protection in an accident.

"Riding four-wheelers is supposed to be fun," Raley said. "Use common sense on that and you should be OK."